Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-02-27
THE DRIFT SOUTHWARD..
Few Points for Owners Of Business Prop
srty to Ponder.
FINER and LARGER STORES WANTED
How the Tendency Of Trade TO Leave Up
Town Can be Checked.
MOVEMENTS ALREADY UNDER WAY.

One of the ~peculiarities of Wheeling,
dating away back to the time when an IT.
regular aggregation of buildings, confined
10 n norton of the territory now eonstltut-
ING the First ward, was the sum n sno-
stance OF the town, is the constant ten
deney of its people, in prosperous times, 10
drift to the southwark, filling mp, as the
population increases, the wide eXPanse oil
eligible building locations lying between
the lower limits of the earlier settled por-
ton and the Marshall county line. The
natural chaneterof the ground upon which
the city il located left no other outlet for Its
growth, and the building of new edihces
south 10 the line of the creek, and finally
heyopd that stream thus became al infalli-
BILE barometer by which the prosperity oi
the community could he accurately gagged.
As the centre of population drifted
southwark, the location Of the business
centre also changed, but much more
slowly. Twenty-Five years ago the centre
of the retail trade was north of Twelfth
street, and much of it north OF Eleventh.
There were NO business houses Of eonse-
auenee on the east side of Main street,
between Eleventh and Twelfth, and none OF
moment on Market street below Eleventh.
During and Just after the war, when
| the city had q health growth, block after
block of business houses were erected on
| Main street, from Eleventh down, while
the dwellings which then lined Market
| street, south of Twelfth, were rapidly
/ transformed into stores to accommodate
the business interests. Many new blocks
were also erected in this locality, and in a
few years the aspect Ofthe city had changed
TO n very great extent.
A period of inactivity then ensued, to
be broken by the building OF large bust
ness blocks on Main street, south OF Four
teenth. the handsome structures oil the
Messrs. Snyder, Baer, SPeidel, Oglebay,
and others being examples. The whole
sale business center made a cores
bonding change, while the retail trade, il
sympathy with it, and moved by the saint
cause. drifted into Market street, and from
Twelfth to Sixteenth that became the most
freuuented ~theroughlare in the city. The
owners of business houses above Twelfth
street soon began 20 feel the effects OF the
change. Oneby one old tenants slipped away
and with each year it became more difficult
to find those willing to take their places,
until the past two or three seasons has seen
buildings once eagerly sought after ior
business purposes, and commanding q
high rent, shut up for want OF tenants nj
any price. The owners Of these properties
never ~bethOught themselves of rebuilding
reftting or improving their buildings-a
plan which might have retarded or checked
the hiyera to the southland cOntenteC
themselves with bewailing the fate which
had befallen them, and rs the mOyemen
kent up, slowly but surely, il began t.
look, AS tar back as half a dozen years ago
that Wheeling would have q sort OF de
cayed spot in what vas once the most val
liable and active portion OF the city.
But a period of depression, caused by
combination OF many causes, fell upon Tin
town and az u natural consequence tn
movement south WAS checked and final,
came to a dead stop. This was an intal
ible sign that the city was no longer III
creasing in size and commercial import
ance. and until the conditions changed
the uptown real estate holders were salts
fled their situation wOuld become no worse
There was a feeling abroad, however, tina
once the old-time movement recommended
decided steps would haze la tie taken, II
the way OF improving and rendering NOR
attractive the business portion Of the cut,
north ofand in the neighborhOOd OF Twelfth
street, on Main, If the retail trade was Il
be maintained there.
After remaining about stationary 10
the pAst two or three years, tn
renewed prosperity which has come tO th,
city within the past eight months, ami tn,
increase of population on the South Side
has renewed the tendency of trade To move
: down town. Some of the property owner
in the old business district have been quicI
la see this tendency, however, and hay'
taken prompt action, While Others are pre-
naring To do 81. Two or three ancien
niles. which have done duty for almos
halra century, are in course OrdemOiltlon
along Main street, tO make room Tor large
modern business blocks. In other IN
Stances store rooms are in curse at Trpal
and iupsOYsment, while still other altrra
tons and changes are in contemplation,
This course is 10 lie approved, let 1t h
viewed from any standpoint "a RAY Sc
Iert. Besides the tendency TAI check The
removal craze, il puts large sums of money
i'm circulation among our people, give
employment to many wOrkmen, bean
tifc. tkn central portion OF thu
city, increases thu ~IleSiFabillty ant
value Of properly and in maay othsr gay
is beneficial to the community. Amona
the improvements In contemplation IL The
intention Of the Rogers estate TO erect I
magnificent four-story block on the prem
Uses Nos. l2!l and l227 Main street, now
occupied nv an old-fashioued two-stor,
building This new block will greatly
beautify that poftiGs 9f Main street, a.
we'll as enhance the value OF FsQgerty II
its neighborhOOd. This is one Of the peSi
WAYS IN the world to boom the old town,
Let the centse NJ Ugpglation 60 southwark,
as it must for years 10 SoEAr, b9t Keep the
business part Of tow between TENTH siscei
and the creek, by all means. This cal
only be doas by removing antiquateo
buildings and substituting for them large,
elegant and well-appOinted busiaeS
blocks, affOrding ample iaeilitie.
for traffic and trade. 1t would
almost p~aralize some of our Main and
Market street freehoAders north of tn,
creek, to see a ma business block, n o
these fine days, erected Oh ths site of TN
ala AIaanr mansion ~onnOsitp the secOI,S